After Ezekiel saw the "glory of the Lord", chapter 1, the priest-prophet, Ezekiel, is selected by the Lord to go to his own people with prophecy that will be fulfilled in the short-term.

A study of the person of Ezekiel will be of great benefit to your study of Bible prophecy. In the years I've been studying Ezekiel, almost 20 years, I have come to know a man that allowed God to use him for the Lord's own purpose without any reservation.

In Ezekiel 2we see the record of the Lord setting the priest in the office of prophet as well, verse 5. There are only three men in scripture that were both priest and prophet. Ezekiel is one, and Jeremiah and Zechariah are the other two.

God's plan for Ezekiel would include not only having him as a "street preacher" but the prophet that He would give all the details for what is called "Messiah's Temple". This is the temple that Jesus will build and rule and reign from during the Kingdom period.

You will notice also that the Lord sends Ezekiel to a rebellious nation,Ezekiel 2:3, and a people that will reject his message and in fact, even mock the prophet,Ezekiel 2:5. In chapter 3God does something very strange, He makes Ezekiel mute or "dumb", that is, unable to speak,Ezekiel 3:26. He then told Ezekiel he could only speak what the Lord would put in his mouth, the words he would speak would be God's messages to the Jewish people, Ezekiel 3:27.

Ezekiel would be mute for over seven years, talking only when God put something in his mouth. God also made the prophet a "watchman", one who would warn the people of a coming danger,Ezekiel 3:17.

A watchman would "hear the word from the Lord" and "warn the people". I believe God wants all of us to be "watchmen", hear the prophetic word of the Lord and then, knowing the urgency of the hour, warn the people.PRAYER THOT: Help me to study your prophetic word Lord, so that I can understand the times we live in today and warn the people, as many as possible, as soon as possible.